When we relocated here a couple of years ago, I remember sitting at Blue Mountain Brewery watching a family in their ski gear, clearly having just returned from a day at the slopes, stopping for burgers and beer on the way home. And I was smitten with this idea immediately. I had images of my family doing that all the time.
Of course, in reality, skiing isn’t cheap, generally requires an all-day commitment (especially if renting gear), and with sports games and school, mixed with spotty wintry weather (50’s one day, 26 the next), we don’t do it as often as I daydreamed.
BUT, snow tubing at Wintergreen? Yes, please! Easy, accessible, short, less dependent on weather, no skill required, gear provided, and lots of snowy fun we love.
Snow tubing really is a great family adventure. And the chutes at Wintergreen’s The Plunge park run fast and are exhilarating, while also feeling safe.
Unfortunately, the propensity to spin wildly while going down the hill is more than my middle-aged equilibrium can seem to handle. But, as to be expected, the spinning is my kids’ favorite. Luckily, I have occasionally been able to force cajole them into tying up to my tube for some runs, which keeps the spinning down.
Our top advice on this is that THIS IS A POPULAR ACTIVITY! As a general rule you have to click “purchase” as quickly as possible to get the time slot you want. Tickets for the weekend go on sale at noon the Monday prior. I know this can feel risky – weather conditions are fairly unpredictable. We’ve noticed that the 4:00 pm slots, especially on Thursdays, tend to sell out last so there may be an option to hesitate if that time slot works for your family.
The Plunge snow tube park is only open Thursday afternoons through Sunday evenings, and tickets must be purchased online in advance.
Generally, snow tubing feels close to a free-for-all, with little rules, but there are some and they are important, especially for those with littles.
First, no lap sitting! Kids have to be comfortable in their own tubes (and parents have to be OK with their kids in their own tubes).
Riders have to be 42-inches at least. And while Wintergreen doesn’t mandate anything other than this height restriction, they recommend on their website that kids be 6-years-old. Use your discretion.
Whether or not, and how many, tubes can be tied together for a run depends on conditions and isn’t announced until the tubing session begins. Although most times at least two tubes can be tied together.
And (they will enforce this at The Plunge) sitting in the tube only! As a mom watching my kids go flying down an snow hill at top speed, I am on board with this rule.
Please know that there are affiliate links included in this post. This means that, at no cost to you, if you click, Raising Charlottesville gets a small compensation. It helps keep us going. For more, read our disclaimers. Thanks for supporting us!
Snow tubing still isn’t cheap. Rates for the 2020-2021 season are $24/tuber on Thursdays, $34/tuber all other days (no age discounts).
And, of course, you’ll want to be sure that you are dressed for the snow. Good snow boots are a must, as you’ll be dragging your tube through the snow and back to the magic carpet to the top. We also had waterproof snow pants and jackets, but given that during our visit it wasn’t freezing and The Plunge was completely in the sun, we were warm.
We opted to eat outside at Devil’s Backbone on the way home. Thus, we did it! We accomplished one of my small daydreams. We were that family that inspired me so much on one of my first outings here in Charlottesville. And their unknowing inspiration makes me appreciate this community even more.
-
-a Charlottesville parent, undisclosed age
Learn more about snow tubing at Wintergreen:
Raising Charlottesville is a website dedicated to highlighting fun & local activities for families living in the Charlottesville, VA area.